Actions to Promote Intermodal Transport

The aim of this Workpackage is to place the findings from the corridor studies in the context of Europe as a whole and derive policy recommendations together with practical, effective and efficient means to reduce intermodal transport costs.

Task 9.1
Generalisation of real cost calculation

The relationship between the corridors that have been studied in the earlier workpackages and intermodal movements in Europe as a whole (in this context defined as movements within the EU as well as those between the EU and accession/CEEC countries) will be defined. Based on the findings of the methodological and empirical WPs, the representativeness of the studied corridors in terms of modal split, real costs, environmental impacts and user charges will be examined. The influence of factors such as the scale of traffic movements on the level of internal and external costs will also be exposed.

Task 9.2
Possible Scenarios for Reducing Intermodal Transport Costs

A wide scan will be made of relevant sources (Existing EU projects and the User Group in particular) in order to identify options (policy instruments and operational initiatives) that can potentially reduce intermodal costs. Together with the output of WP8 these will be integrated into a set of distinct scenarios that can go forward for analysis in the following tasks.

Task 9.3
Policy recommendations to reduce intermodal transport costs

A major policy objective is to correct any disparities between real costs and charges in the chosen corridors for the different modes. Relevant policy instruments will be defined (including various taxation initiatives, subsidy, licensing and legislation), and analysis undertaken to identify the optimum set of policy instruments and the associated scale (of charges, taxation etc.) consistent with the Common Transport Policy, the principles described in Towards Fair and Efficient Pricing and the aspirations described in Intermodality and Intermodal Transport in the EU COM(97)243. Full account will be taken of any local circumstances. The issues of both efficiency and equity will be taken into account. The basis of the analysis is the output of WP6. A policy evaluation methodology (taking account of the thematic network on the subject and projects such as TENASSESS, Transport Network Accounts FP5 2.1.1/2) will be used.

The output is to be primarily directed at policy makers. Transport planners, intermodal transport users and operators will be involved in the validation of the approach used to derive the recommendations.

Task 9.4
Operational actions to promote intermodal transport

The purpose is to translate opportunities for cost reduction and service enhancement (defined earlier) into real actions. Barriers (economic, environmental, financing, government competencies, international national conflict, technical and pricing) that inhibit or prevent the achievement of these opportunities will be identified. Means to overcome the barriers will be explored and evaluated before final recommendations are made. The activities involved in this workpackage concerned with barriers will partly be based on previous research in the subject area (including LOGIQ, PROMOTIQ) and concurrent research in FP5 but crucially via contact with the relevant actors in the intermodal market (workshops).

Task 9.5
Identification of significant knowledge gaps, and of further research and/or applications needs

This Task will produce a statement of the capability of the RECORDIT methodology, and the associated DSS Module, coupled with demonstrations of its uses, with the purpose of ensuring its further useful exploitation. It will demonstrate how the output of RECORDIT can be used to explore issues of interest to transport planners, operators and freight forwarders. It will identify and qualify gaps in the current state of knowledge (both in terms of understanding the mechanisms and for what concerns data and information availability), which may still hinder the implementation of intermodal. door-to-door transport development. Policy options (such as the use of urban transhipment centres), innovative changes in intermodal freight operations (such as those proposed in the FP4 X-MODALL programme) and cost/revenue impact of proposed new services will be explored. The Users’ Group will provide the initial target audience.

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